Ann Dermatol.  2017 Oct;29(5):608-613. 10.5021/ad.2017.29.5.608.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Combination Therapy Using Oral Cyclosporine with a Dietary Supplement (Pantogar®) in Twenty-Nail Dystrophy

• Oh SJ
• Kim JE
• Ko JY
• Ro YS

• KMID: 2388913
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5021/ad.2017.29.5.608

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Twenty-nail dystrophy (TND) is an acquired idiopathic disease characterized by dull, thin, lusterless, and fragile nails with fissuring, small regular pits, and excessive longitudinal ridging. Although various treatment modalities have been performed in order to treat TND, the effects of these treatments are controversial.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of oral cyclosporine in TND.
METHODS
A total of 38 patients with TND were treated with combination therapy using oral cyclosporine with a pantothenic acid complex-based dietary supplement (Pantogar®; Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Germany), whereas 44 patients were treated with the pantothenic acid complex-based dietary supplement alone. The therapeutic efficacy in each group was retrospectively evaluated using medical records and clinical photographs.
RESULTS
The cyclosporine therapy group had significantly more patients whose improvement was rated as almost clear, marked, or moderate compared to the control group (p<0.001). While the mean CHATS (Color, Hyperkeratosis, Area, Thickness, Separation) score of the cyclosporine therapy group was decreased by 13.45 (from 30.95 to 17.5) after treatment, the mean CHATS score of the control group was only decreased by 8 (from 29.43 to 21.43, p<0.001). Moreover, greater Dermatology Life Quality Index changes after treatment were observed in the cyclosporine therapy group (p=0.085).
CONCLUSION
Oral cyclosporine can be a valuable therapeutic option in patients with TND.

Keyword

Cyclosporine; Pantothenic acid; Twenty-nail dystrophy

MeSH Terms

Cyclosporine*
Dermatology
Dietary Supplements*
Humans
Medical Records
Pantothenic Acid
Quality of Life
Retrospective Studies
Cyclosporine
Pantothenic Acid

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Clinical nail severity scoring system developed by the Cleveland Foot and Ankle Clinic.

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  Fig. 2 (A~D) Images of the fingernails in a 62-year-old woman showed ‘almost clear’ after cyclosporine therapy (treatment duration: 6 months). (E~H) Images of fingernails and toenails in a 70-year-old woman showed ‘no change’ after treating with the pantothenic acid complex-based dietary supplement only (treatment duration: 7 months).

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